See what makes February 26 special at Famous Daily.
History, birthdays, holiday, and a quote!
What happened on February 26
- February 26, 0364 Valentinian I is proclaimed Roman Emperor.
- February 26, 1266 "Battle of Benevento: An army led by Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by King Manfred of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples."
- February 26, 1531 "Earthquake in Lisbon Portugal, kills 20,000"
- February 26, 1534 Pope Paul II affirms George van Egmond as bishop of Utrecht
- February 26, 1564 "Christopher Marlowe, dramatist (Dr Faustus), baptized"
- February 26, 1590 Mauritius of Nassaus sails to Breda
- February 26, 1616 Spanish Inquisition delivers injunction to Galileo
- February 26, 1732 "Mass first celebrated in American Catholic church, (St Joseph's Church, Philadelphia)"
- February 26, 1773 Construction authorized for Walnut St jail (Philadelphia) (1st solitary)
- February 26, 1794 "Christiansborg Castle, Copenhagen burns down."
- February 26, 1797 Bank of England issues first œ1-note
- February 26, 1798 David Thompson 1770-1857 sets off up Red River to explore headwaters of Mississippi
- February 26, 1804 "Vice-Admiral William Bligh ends siege of Fort Amsterdam, Willemstad"
- February 26, 1815 "Napoleon & 1,200 leave Elba to start 100-day re-conquest of France"
- February 26, 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
- February 26, 1832 Polish constitution abolished/replaced by Czar Nicholas I
- February 26, 1838 Rensselaer Van Rensselaer invades Pelee Island in Lake Erie with 500 American sympathizers of the Canadian rebels
- February 26, 1839 Jem Mason on Lottery wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain)
- February 26, 1848 2nd French Republic forms
- February 26, 1848 "Marx & Engels publish ""The Communist Manifesto"""
- February 26, 1848 The second French Republic is proclaimed.
- February 26, 1852 British frigate Birkenhead sinks off South Africa-458 die
- February 26, 1859 Paul Morphy's chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins; Morphy wins
- February 26, 1862 "Battle of Woodburn, KY"
- February 26, 1863 Lincoln signs National Currency Act
- February 26, 1866 New York Legislature establishes NYC Metropolitan Board of Health
- February 26, 1869 15th Amendment guaranteeing right to vote sent to states
- February 26, 1869 "Franz Schubert's ""4th Tragic,"" premieres"
- February 26, 1870 First NYC subway line opens (pneumatic powered)
- February 26, 1881 Natal British troops under General-Major Colley occupy Majuba Hill
- February 26, 1881 SS Ceylon begins first round-the-world cruise from Liverpool
- February 26, 1884 British & Portuguese treaty signed in Congo by Leopold II
- February 26, 1885 "Congress of Berlin, gives Congo to Belgium & Nigeria to England"
- February 26, 1885 "The Berlin Act, which resulted from the Berlin Conference regulating European colonization and trade in Africa, was signed"
- February 26, 1887 "At the SCG, George Lohmann becomes the first bowler to take eight wickets in a Test innings."
- February 26, 1887 "George Lohmann took first 8-wicket haul in Test Crickets, 8-35 at SCG"
- February 26, 1891 First buffalo purchased for Golden Gate Park
- February 26, 1891 "Henrik Ibsens ""Hedda Gabler,"" premieres in Oslo"
- February 26, 1893 "2 Clydesdale horses set record by pulling 48 tons on a sledge, Michigan"
- February 26, 1895 Michael Owens of Toledo OH patents a glass-blowing machine
- February 26, 1897 "Sigma Pi Fraternity, International was founded at Vincennes University."
- February 26, 1903 "Richard Gattling, rapid-fire gun inventor, dies."
- February 26, 1907 Royal Oil & Shell merge to form British Petroleum (BP)
- February 26, 1907 US Congress raised their own salaries to $7500
- February 26, 1912 Coal miners strike in England (settle on 03/01)
- February 26, 1914 New York Museum of Science & Industry incorporated
- February 26, 1915 "Malancourt, Argonnen - first (German) flame-thrower"
- February 26, 1916 "Germans sink French transport ship Provence II, killing 930"
- February 26, 1916 Mutual signs Charlie Chaplin to a film contract
- February 26, 1917 First Annual fair at Utrecht Harbor (Netherlands)
- February 26, 1917 The Original Dixieland Jass Band records the first ever Jazzrecord for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
- February 26, 1918 "Stands at Hong Kong Jockey Club collapse & burn, killing 604"
- February 26, 1919 "Acadia National Park established (as Lafayette National Park), Maine"
- February 26, 1919 An act of the U.S. Congress establishes most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park (see Grand Canyon National Park).
- February 26, 1919 Grand Canyon National Park is established.
- February 26, 1923 Italian nationalist & fascists merge (blue-shirts & black-shirts)
- February 26, 1924 Trial against Hitler in Munich begins
- February 26, 1925 Jihad-Saint war against Turkish government
- February 26, 1925 Oregon adopts its state flag.
- February 26, 1929 Grand Teton National Park is established.
- February 26, 1929 The Grand Teton National Park is created.
- February 26, 1930 The first red & green traffic lights installed (Manhattan NYC)
- February 26, 1930 "West Indies make first Test Cricket win, by 289 runs over England"
- February 26, 1933 Golden Gate Bridge ground-breaking ceremony held at Crissy Field
- February 26, 1935 "Germany began Luftwaffe operation, under Reichsmarshall H Goering"
- February 26, 1935 RADAR-Radio Detection & Ranging first demonstrated (Robert Watson-Watt)
- February 26, 1935 "The Daventry Experiment, Robert Watson-Watt carried out a demonstration near Daventry which led directly to the development of RADAR in the United Kingdom."
- February 26, 1935 The Luftwaffe is reformed.
- February 26, 1936 "Hitler introduces Ferdinand Porsche's ""Volkswagen"""
- February 26, 1936 "In the February 26 Incident, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup against the government."
- February 26, 1936 Military coup in Japan
- February 26, 1938 First passenger ship equipped with radar
- February 26, 1940 The US Air Defense Command is created.
- February 26, 1941 Cowboys' Amateur Association of America organized (California)
- February 26, 1941 Utrecht & Zaandam strike against raid on Jews
- February 26, 1941 Vichy-France makes religious education in school mandatory
- February 26, 1942 German battle cruiser Gneisenau deactivated by bombs
- February 26, 1942 "Government starts evacuating 21,000 Japanese Canadians from coastal regions of British Columbia to interior work camps; under War Measures Act"
- February 26, 1942 Radio Orange calls for March 1 day of prayer in Dutch Indies
- February 26, 1942 "Werner Heisenberger informs Nazis about uranium project ""Wunderwaffen"""
- February 26, 1942 "WWII Navy flier Don Mason sends message ""Sighted sub sank same"""
- February 26, 1943 German assault moves to Beja North Tunisia
- February 26, 1944 "First female US navy captain, Sue Dauser of nurse corps, appointed"
- February 26, 1945 Very heavy bombing on Berlin by 8th US Air Force
- February 26, 1946 2 killed & 10 wounded in race riot in Columbia TN
- February 26, 1949 USAF plane began first nonstop around-the-world flight
- February 26, 1950 "Leonard Bernstein's ""Age of Anxiety,"" premieres in New York NY"
- February 26, 1951 Bread rationing in Czechoslovakia
- February 26, 1951 "The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, which limits a president to two terms of office, is ratified."
- February 26, 1952 Britain announces that it has its own atomic bomb.
- February 26, 1952 Netherlands-Indonesian Unity conference
- February 26, 1952 United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that his nation has an atomic bomb.
- February 26, 1953 "Allen W Dulles, promoted from deputy to 5th director of CIA"
- February 26, 1954 "First typesetting machine (photo engraving) used, Quincy MA"
- February 26, 1954 "Michigan Representative Ruth Thompson (R) introduces legislation to ban mailing ""obscene, lewd, lascivious or filthy"" phonograph (rock & roll) records"
- February 26, 1955 """Peter Pan"" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 149 performances"
- February 26, 1955 The first aviator to bail out at supersonic speed - G F Smith
- February 26, 1956 Writers Sylvia Plath & Ted Hughes meet at a party in Cambridge
- February 26, 1960 Soviet premier Khrushchev voices support for Indonesia
- February 26, 1960 USA's David Jenkins wins the Olympics Gold for men's figure skating
- February 26, 1960 "Verne Gagne beats Doctor X in Omaha, to become NWA wrestling champion"
- February 26, 1961 "Mohammed V, King of Morocco, dies."
- February 26, 1962 US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation
- February 26, 1965 Dutch Government of Marijnen falls
- February 26, 1965 West Germany ceases military aid to Tanzania
- February 26, 1966 "Apollo Program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket"
- February 26, 1967 "Verne Gagne beats Mad Dog Vachon in St Paul, to become NWA champion"
- February 26, 1968 Clandestine Radio Voice of Iraqi People (Communist) final transmission
- February 26, 1969 Number one hit on UK music charts - Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely?
- February 26, 1971 Ottawa starts program to raise Francophone numbers in the Canadian Armed Forces to at least 28%
- February 26, 1971 Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
- February 26, 1972 Buffalo Creek Flood caused by a burst dam kills 125 in West Virginia.
- February 26, 1972 "Slag heap dam collapses above Buffalo Creek WV, kills 125"
- February 26, 1973 Triple Crown horse Secretariat bought for a record $5.7m
- February 26, 1974 Gold hits record $188 an ounce in Paris
- February 26, 1975 """Night... Made America Famous"" opens at Barrymore NYC for 75 performances"
- February 26, 1975 A televised kidney transplant is shown
- February 26, 1977 First flight of Space Shuttle (atop a Boeing 747)
- February 26, 1978 "Ira Levin's ""Deathtrap,"" premieres in New York NY"
- February 26, 1979 A total eclipse of the sun casts a huge shadow from Oregon to North Dakota.
- February 26, 1979 "Total solar eclipse crosses western Canada, casting a moving shadow 250 km wide"
- February 26, 1980 Egypt & Israel exchange ambassadors for the first time
- February 26, 1980 Military coup under Desi Bouterse in Suriname
- February 26, 1980 "R Hadlee scores Test Cricket century vs Roberts, Garner, Holding, Croft"
- February 26, 1981 3 Anglican missionaries detained in Iran since August 1980 are released
- February 26, 1981 French Train … Grande Vitesse averages 380 kph on trial run
- February 26, 1983 "Michael Jackson's ""Thriller"" album goes to #1 & stays #1 for 37 weeks"
- February 26, 1984 Last US marines in multinational peace-keeping force in Lebanon left Beirut
- February 26, 1984 Pak Awang (84) marries 80th spouse
- February 26, 1984 "Reverend Jesse Jackson acknowledges that he called NYC, ""Hymietown"""
- February 26, 1984 "Robert Penn Warren, Pulitzer Prize winner, named first US poet laureate"
- February 26, 1984 US troops withdraw from Beirut. President Ronald Reagan had sent the troops as a peacekeeping force in August 1982.
- February 26, 1985 "27th Grammy Awards What's Love Got to Do With It, Cyndi Lauper win"
- February 26, 1986 Former Philippines President Ferdinand E Marcos fled in defeat
- February 26, 1986 Goaltending great Jacques Plante 1929-1986 dies at his home near Geneva at age 57
- February 26, 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
- February 26, 1987 Iran-Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes American President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
- February 26, 1987 NASA launches GEOS-H
- February 26, 1987 The first release of Beatles compact discs
- February 26, 1987 "The Tower Commission report is issued, chiding President Reagan for his national security staff's actions in the Iran-Contra affair."
- February 26, 1987 USSR resumes nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
- February 26, 1988 Christa Rotherburger (GDR) skates ladies world record 1000 meter (1:17.65)
- February 26, 1989 """Jerome Robbins' Broadway"" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 634 performances"
- February 26, 1989 California court throws out most of Margo Adams's $12 million breach-of- contract suit against Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs
- February 26, 1990 "President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua concedes defeat to election opponent, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro."
- February 26, 1990 The Sandinistas are defeated in Nicaraguan elections.
- February 26, 1990 "USSR agrees to withdraw all 73,500 troops from Czechoslovakia by July, 1991"
- February 26, 1991 Asanka Gurusinha scores twin Test Cricket tons vs New Zealand (119 & 102)
- February 26, 1991 Bill Veeck & Tony Lazzeri elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- February 26, 1991 Gulf War: On Baghdad Radio Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
- February 26, 1991 Kuwaiti resistance leaders declare they have control of their capital
- February 26, 1991 "Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser."
- February 26, 1992 Irish Supreme Court rules 14 year old rape victim may get an abortion
- February 26, 1993 "2nd tallest building in world, NYC World Trade Center bombed, 7 die"
- February 26, 1993 "Allan Border beats Gavaskar's record for most Test Cricket runs 10,123"
- February 26, 1993 Six people die and more than a thousand are injured when Islamic extremists explode a bomb in the parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City.
- February 26, 1993 "World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center goes off, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand."
- February 26, 1994 Actor Dolph Lundgren (34) weds Anette Qviberg in Stockholm
- February 26, 1995 "Barings, England's oldest investment banking company, fails after a securities broker loses over $1 billion gambling on Tokyo stock prices."
- February 26, 1995 "The United Kingdom's oldest investment banking firm, Barings Bank collapses after a securities broker, Nick Leeson, loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange using futures contracts."
- February 26, 1997 "39th Grammy Awards Change the World Babyface, Beck & LeAnn Rimes win"
- February 26, 1998 Oprah Winfrey beats Texas cattlemen in beef trial
- February 26, 1998 Total solar eclipse in Venezuela-Pacific Ocean
- February 26, 1999 "Ontario Southland commenced operation over the CP Port Burwell subdivision from Ingersoll to Tillsonburg, ON."
- February 26, 2001 "The Taliban destroy two giant Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan."
- February 26, 2004 "Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski is killed in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina."
- February 26, 2004 "The United States lifts a ban on travel to Libya, ending travel restrictions to the nation that had lasted for 23 years."
- February 26, 2005 Hosni Mubarak the president of Egypt orders the constitution changed to allow multi-candidate presidential elections before September 2005 by asking Egyptian parliament to amend Article 76 of the constitution.
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